Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has outlined the strategies Nigeria is adopting to enhance its education system during the 3rd Ordinary Session of the 6th Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Following his inauguration in the Parliament, Kalu emphasized the need for African parliaments to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which focuses on quality education.
Kalu highlighted Nigeria’s measures, including increased funding for schools, scholarships, and the passage of the Student Loan Scheme Bill, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed into law.
”This Act aims to provide Nigerian students with access to credit facilities for higher education, regardless of their financial background,” he stated.
Addressing the theme of the session, “Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa,” Kalu shared Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen educational infrastructure, ensure continuity during crises, and leverage technology for remote learning.
He mentioned the recent license granted to MIVA Open University for online classes as a significant step forward.
Kalu also discussed Nigeria’s initiatives for lifelong learning, such as vocational training and adult literacy programs.
He proposed the creation of a dedicated fund to support national efforts and address educational disparities across Africa, advocating for a specific percentage of national budgets to be allocated to education.
Emphasizing inclusivity, Kalu called for educational systems that cater to people with disabilities and proposed an African model of learning tailored to the continent’s unique dynamics.
He also stressed the need for the legislative arm of the African Union (AU) to have a say in the budget process, advocating for transparency and accountability.
Kalu concluded by urging immediate action to address the global education crisis, calling on the Parliament to adopt a pan-African approach to resolve educational deficiencies.
His words: “The role of this Parliament is to adopt a pan-African approach to cure this defect. That is our job as leaders, it is our job as representatives of the people.
“If we are fit for purpose, we must chest out to deal with it. The era of blaming anybody is gone. It is now our responsibility to deal with our problems. Nothing more, nothing less.
“This is a call for immediate action and I am pleased that the leadership of President Charumbira is not wasting any time in addressing this major continental deficiency in our education system.”